February Brought Some Snow to the Beach.

How about that, a little winter precipitation managed to hit the sandy shores of the mighty Pacific last month. My sister reported a light dusting at her home in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. Although snow isn't super rare on Washington's beautiful coast, it is rather unusual. The arctic outbreak brought a full foot of deep powder to the Portland - Vancouver metro area over the Holiday weekend for Presidents Day and of course Saint Valentine's Day.

I've never managed to be at the coast during a snow event, so I figure one of these days I'll pay sis a visit during a winter event :)

Stay tuned for updates on coastal activities as the Governor seems to be loosening his grip on the COVID restrictions and hopefully coupled with vaccines we can have a fun summer at the beach. 

Merging with Retire to Washington.

I will be merging this blog with my Retire to Washington blog. The blog will still post once a month as will retire to Washington but articles from each may appear on the other from time to time. This month I will present a post from the aforementioned blog originally posted late last year.

Well Christmas is just three days away! Perhaps the best present in 2020 is a plan to move to Washington State in 2021. In particular SW Washington which offers everything from the beach to the mountains. There is a broad range of housing costs across the region with rural counties offering median home prices below the national average and urban areas costing well above the national average. SW Washington truly has something for everyone. Well no desert life, but central Washington has all the desert you could ever want :)

Although some say Olympia is part of SW Washington it has really become an extension of the greater Seattle-Tacoma Metro area. The counties that comprise the area are Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania counties. 

This portion of Washington State offers a wide variety of topography and demographic variance. Everything from the urban jungle to the backwoods to the beach. Below is an outline of the counties and some facts about each.

Clark County

• Median home price $414,000
• Median income $67,300
• Median age 37
• Population 500,000
• Population Density 750/square mile
• Largest city, Vancouver 200,000 (340,000)
• Seat of government, Vancouver
• Highest point, Sturgeon Rock 4,080 ft (Silver Star 4,364 ft)
• Lowest point, Columbia River @25 ft
• 2nd city, Camas 23,000
• 3rd city, Battle Ground, 20,000
• 4th city, Washougal, 15,000
• 5th city, Ridgefield, 8,000
• 6th city, La Center 4,000
• 7th city (township), Yacolt, 1,800
• Notable #1 Oldest county in Washington
• Notable #2 Bounded on south and west by Columbia River
• Notable #3 Third largest seaport in Washington
• Notable #4 Second most densely populated county in Washington

Cowlitz County

• Median home price $321,000
• Median income $55,000
• Median age 40
• Population 112,000
• Population Density 91/square mile
• Largest City, Longview 40,000
• Seat of government, Kelso
• Highest point, Goat Mountain 4,965 ft
• Lowest point, Columbia River @25 ft
• 2nd city, Kelso 13,000
• 3rd city, Woodland, 5,700
• 4th city, Kalama, 3,000
• 5th city, Castle Rock, 2,400
• Notable #1 4th largest seaport in Washington
• Notable #2 Contains a portion of the St Helens NVM

Skamania County

• Median home price $376,000
• Median income $61,540
• Median age 44
• Population 12,500
• Population Density 7/square mile
• Largest City, Stevenson 1,750
• Seat of government, Stevenson
• Highest point, West Slope Mt. Adams , 8,920 ft (Mt Adams 12,245 ft)
• Lowest point, Columbia River @25 ft
• 2nd city, North Bonneville 1,000
• Notable #1 Beacon Rock 2nd largest rock monolith in the world
• Notable #2 Mount St. Helens 8,366 ft
• Notable #3 Bonneville Dam

Lewis County

• Median home price $296,000
• Median income $53,358
• Median age 42
• Population 82,000
• Population Density 33/square mile
• Largest City, Centralia 18,000
• Seat of government, Chehalis
• Highest point, Big Horn, 8,000 ft 
• Lowest point, Cowlitz River @55 ft
• 2nd city, Chehalis 7,700
• 3rd city, Napavine 2,000
• 4th city, Winlock 1,500 
• 5th city, Morton 1,200
• 6th city, Mossy Rock 900
• 7th city, Toledo 770
• 8th city, Vader 670
• Notable #1 Midway between Portland, OR and Seattle, WA
• Notable #2 Portions of Rainer National Park

Wahkiakum County

• Median home price $458,000
• Median income $47,260
• Median age 52
• Population 4,600
• Population Density 25/square mile
• Largest City (township), Cathlamet 600
• Seat of government, Cathlamet
• Highest point, Huckleberry Ridge , 2,673 ft 
• Lowest point, Columbia River @20 ft
• Notable #1 Named for prominent Chinook Indian Chief
• Notable #2 Smallest land area of any non island county in Washington
• Notable #3 2nd lowest county population in Washington

Pacific County

• Median home price $210,259
• Median income $51,450
• Median age 51
• Population 23,000
• Population Density 22/square mile
• Largest City, Raymond 3,000
• Seat of government, South Bend
• Highest point, unnamed peak in Willapa Hills, 3,020 ft 
• Lowest point, Pacific Ocean 0 ft
• 2nd city, South Bend 1,700
• 3rd city, Long Beach 1,500
• 4th city, Ilwaco 1,000
• Notable #1 Mouth of the Columbia River
• Notable #2 Long Beach, drive on beach is actually a state highway

Happy New Year!

Wintertime at the coast can be a relief from the chillier interior temps. Although we have had rathew mild weather these past few weeks, the coast is often 5° to 10° warmer than locales inland such as Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. The coast is generally quite mild and often a nice getaway in the winter months. This warmer tendency is particularly noticeable during extreme cold events where cold air is trapped in the inland valleys but kept at bay from the coast. That said, storms that approach the coast in the winter months can be rather wild, wet, and windy. Do peek at local weather forecasts when visitng in the winter; dress and prep approapriately :) I do beleive we have a great chance of seeing the COVID-19 restrictions largely eased by springtime. Vaccines and natural herd immunity are already moving a ahead and we should be able to get back to some semblance of normal over the next few months. That will be a most welcome event. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

Well December is here and things are going to get a bit chilly. Of course the coast is typically 10 degrees warmer so may an escape to the beach is still a viable thing :) Some people enjoy storm watching as well. The mighty Pacific Ocean can be very angry at times and the storms she produces can be quite the spectacle. 

As for me I'm taking the month off, actually, no I'm not. I am going to keep this post short however and I'll be back in the new year... let's hope 2021 is better than 2020 :)

Beach is still a deal.

 

There are still some good deals out on the peninsula. This very light fixer is listed for just $129,900 and features a tidy 3 bed 1 bath home with attached 2 car garage situated on a 10,000 + SF lot. 

It is located on the bay side just north of Oysterville. It is private and just needs a little TLC to become quite the charmer.

The coast still offers some of the best value in real estate in SW Washington. Sure if you want you house perched on the beachfront of the mighty Pacific you will not get deals like this, but this home is just a 5 minute drive to the beach and a short walk to the bay so you get the access for a fraction of the cost of actually having the waves crashing into the west end of your property ;)

Washington State does have some regulatory restrictions for real estate but it is possible to look at homes usually by appointment with two at a time inside, masks, etc. Take a ride out to the coast and see what you could own in your budget range. You will almost certainly be quite pleased.

COVID-19 and the Coast

Coastal areas rely heavily on the tourism industry. That industry has taken a Chuck Norris round house to the face with COVID-19. If you live in the coastal areas be sure to do as much business with your local restaurants and businesses within the guidelines of local and state authorities of course.

The beach areas are more reliant on visitors and entertainment, social events, etc, so this virus has really done a number on the area and they would surely appreciate your support.

If you are thinking about buying a place at the beach, now is a great time to do so. Interest rates are very low and demand at the coast is not as crazy as it is here in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. That means you are not likely to be battling 10 other offers on every property. Pacific County, Washington has reasonable prices on real estate especially if you are coming form the perspective of Seattle or Portland-Vancouver. There is still a notable advantage over the Oregon coast as well.

The median home price on the Long Beach Peninsula is running about $230k which is barely more than half that of Vancouver, WA. There is great rates and great deals at the beach.

That's all I have this time around, see you next time!

     

Sis' Still Loves the Peninsula Life

I wrote an article a few months after I sold my sister a house in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. She loves that beach life now entering her third year. In fact she has just about finished up a brand new house on the property to replace the manufactured home she bought. 

Although the coast is lightly populated which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that the small town feeling is everywhere and once that mid summer crowd dissipates it is rather quiet. But on the curse side a small permanent population doesn't support as much business and one may find themselves traveling a bit to go to places like Costco, or Fred Meyer.

That said she remains a firm fan of the beach life :)

Here is the article from November 2018:

I was delighted to be able to help my recently retired sister and brother-in-law find a suitable property at the coast. They found a lovely remodeled manufacture home on a large 1.25 acre parcel in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. From this locale they are a short bike ride to the crashing Pacific Ocean or the bayside of the peninsula.

They love it at the beach! I don't think they ever thought they would be able to own property in a beach community, yet now they do.

From San Diego, CA to Warrenton, OR the Pacific coast is expensive and for many unobtainable. But SW Washington has a little sweet spot where real estate prices remain affordable. My sister and her husband were overjoyed to be able to afford a nice little place on large lot so close to the sea.

The Long Beach Peninsula has that classic beach vibe going on. It remains quintessentially quaint, with small town values and all of the benefits and faults of small town living. Coastal areas like Long Beach are heavy on tourism and as such can be crowded at peak times. The peninsula has several areas that are a bit detached from the busy touristy areas so whether one wants to be in the 'thick of it' or 'off the radar' Pacific County has their back :)